Cam operated jar cap wrench



Sept. 5, 1950 N. D. HosKlNs CAM OPERATED JAR CAP WRENCH Filed Aug. 1,1946 :FJ :Til

Patented Sept. 5, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,521,011 I CAMOPERATED JAR CAP WRENCH Nathan D. Hoskins, Parsons, Tenn.

Application August 1, 1946, Serial No. 687,745

1 Claim. (Cl. 81-3.712)

This invention relates to improvements in jar top wrenches, andparticularly to a wrench or tool intended and adapted to be used inapplying and loosening jar tops or caps such as used on screw cap fruitjars, and the like.

An object of my invention is to provide a tool of this character whichcan be used with equal facility to apply or screw on and to loosen orscrew oii, the screw tops or caps of Mason or other screw-topped jars,and which is of such construction that it is readily applied to andremoved from the jar top or cap, and with which the force employed tomove and turn the jar top will tighten the wrench and assure a firm gripof the tool upon the top or cap, for both tightening the screw cap intoplace and removing the same.

Another object is to provide a wrench of simple and inexpensive and yetsturdy construction, made up of parts easily manufactured and assembled,and which will not be likely to become damaged or broken even throughconstant and long use.

Still another purpose of this invention is to so construct the tool thatthe parts thereof can be assembled and mounted and secured'together inoperating relation by the use of ordinary machines and equipment, andwith the parts brought together in sub-assemblies; whereby theemployment of special machinery and complicated assembly procedures andtechnique is avoided. With the above and other objects in view, some ofAwhich will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and others of whichare inherent in the construction and use and operation of the parts,this invention includes certain novel features of construction andcombinations` and arrangements of elements, which will be hereinafterset forth in connection with the drawings, and then pointed out in theclaim.

Figure 1 is a side elevation, and partly in section, showing adaptationof my invention in a jar top wrench, and illustrating a jar and capportion in position to be engaged thereby.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of my improved Wrench.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the structure disclosed in Fig. 2, withthe wrench parts in opened and expanded position.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical sectional View substantially on line 44 of Fig. 3, and illustrating. a jar top or cap in position to begripped by the wrench.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to the showing in Fig, 3, with the wrench partsin their contracted and gripping relation.

Fig. `6 is a longitudinal vertical sectional View taken substantially online 6 6 of Fig. 5, showing the wrench gripping a jar top or cap.

In the adaptation of the invention here illustrated, the wrench.isgenerally indicated atiA, vvithltheY screw cap or topB. being shownupon a jar C,l with the usual. sealing ringshownv at D'.

The supporting plate or member I, is here shown as being ofsubstantially elliptical shape. This member is preferably made out ofsheet metal, or other suitable material, and while the generallyelliptical outline shape has been found particularly advantageous inuse, it is to be understood that the member I can be of substantiallycircular outline, can be rectangular, or diamond shaped, or in fact canbe of any outline shape that may be desired, and which will at the sametime permit support and movement of the parts carried thereby. A bearingopening 2 is provided in the middle portion of the supporting plate ormember l, and guide slots 3 and 4 are formed in the supporting plate ormember to eX- tend inwardly from each end of the ellipse, andsubstantially along the line of the long axis of the ellipse. Theseguide slots 3 and d are open at their outer ends, and at their innerends are stopped short of and are spaced outwardly from the centralbearing opening 2'.

An operating plate 5 has a polygonal opening through its middle portion,and this plate is preferably of somewhat elongated form with the endsthereof rounded. Arcuate slots l and B are provided through theoperating plate 5 within the connes of the rounded ends thereof, andAthese arcuate slots have their ends closer to the polygonal opening thantheir middle portions, for reasons which will be presently described.

Gripping members S and I il are of generally segmental shape, and areprovided with arcuategripping anges II and I2. 'Ihese Iianges II and I2have inside curvatures to substantially con'- form to and fit around andupon the upper part and side of the usual jar top or cap B; and, toprovide additional gripping, these flanges II and I2 might be providedwith corrugations or pro'- jections, and may be milled or knurled, orother` wise shaped or formed or treated.

The operating plate 5 and the two gripping members 9 and Hl areassembled as operatively connected parts, by means of headed rivets orpins I3 and I4, which pass loosely through the arcuate slots l and E andare riveted or otherwise secured substantially rigidly in conjunctionwith the gripping members e and I0. In assembling these parts, it ispreferable that the gripping members 9 and It have the body portionthereof disposed to both lie in the same plane on one` side of theoperating plate 5, and the gripping" members il and I will be'disposedwith their arcuate gripping flanges Il and I2 in substantially opposedrelation.

Headed slide members i5 and It are mounted on the body portions of thegripping members l9V and Ii) to be outstanding therefrom on-the sidesaway from the operating plate 5. members I5 andv l5 haveY elongatedfbodyportions I2'I and I ofY a transverse Width that will fit to be freelyvslidable within the guide slots 3 andl- Thus,- as the elongated bodyportions II and I@ oflthev headed! slide members" Ii'randI I6 arelitted" The headedJ within the guide slots 3 and 4, the gripping members9 and I0 will be freely movable toward and away from the bearing opening2, but will be held against twisting movement, to thus restrain thegripping members 9 and I0 against twisting or other movement that wouldthrow or dispose the gripping flanges II and I2 out of properrelationship to cooperate in gripping and holding upon the cap or top B.Y Y

An operating handle is made up of a spindle I9 and a cross-handleportion 20, the latter being preferably shaped to be convenientlygrasped and held Within the hand of the user. The spindle I9 is madeintegral with the handle 20, Aor is in s'ome manner secured thereto tobe held against independent rotational movement, whereby when thecross-handle 22 is rotated, the spindle I9 will be correspondinglyrotated. Adjacent to its end, the spindle I9 has a bearing portion 2|adapted to fit and turn within the bearing opening Vat 2, Within thesupporting plate or member, and beyond this bearing portion 2l, thespindle I9 has a polygonal portion 22 adapted to iit within thepolygonal opening E of the operating plate 5. It is perhaps preferablethat a bearing flange be provided at 23, on the spindle I9, outside ofor aboveY the bearing portion 2|, and when, iny the nal assembly, thepolygonal portion 22 is headed over, as at 24, the operating plate 5will be substantially rigidly connected on the end of the spindle I9,and the flange 23 will serve to hold and maintain the parts insubstantially the position and relation shown in Figs. 1 and 4 and 6 ofthe drawings.VV

As has been stated, the operating plate 5 can have the two grippingmembers 9 and I9, with the headed slide members I5 and I6 previouslyassembled thereon, mounted movably in place by the rivets or pins I3 andI4. With this assembly, one of the headed slide members can be insertedthrough the open outer end of one of the guide slots, and can be movedsubstantially to the inner end of this slot, following which VtheV partscan be adjusted or manipulated to bring the opposite headed Yslidemember into position to be moved into the opposite guide slot throughits open end. The spindle I9, with the crosshandle 29 assembled thereon,can then have its lower end tted in place with the polygonal portion 22within Vthe polygonal opening 6 of the operating plate, and the bearingportion 2l freely rotatable within the bearing opening 2 of thesupporting plate or member I, With the parts in this relation, the endof the spindle I9 can be headed over, as at 24, and the parts are thensecurely held in the assembled relation.

With the tool or wrench thus assembled, the cross-handle 29 is moved torotate spindle I9 so that the rivets or pins I3 and Irwill besubstantially in the middle portions of the arcuate slots 1 and 8, andin this position, substantially as shown in 3, the gripping anges II andI2 are separated or spread apart softhat they present an opening widerthan the diameter of the screw top or cap B, substantially as disclosedin Fig. 4. The tool or wrench can then be moved downwardly to rest uponthe upper side of the 4 slots 1 and 8 are nearer to the center of theopening 6. Thus, the Vtwo gripping members 9 and I0 will be drawn in sothatthe arcuate gripping flanges II and I2 thereof will rmly grip aroundand hold upon the top or cap B. Continued turning force applied throughthe crosshandle 29 will rotate the spindle I9, and in fact the entiretool or wrench, to apply rotational or turning force upon the cap B toscrew the cap on to or from the screw threaded neck of the jar C. Whilethe operation has been described with rotation of the parts in thedirection indicated by the arrow on Fig. 5, it will be appreciated thatwhen rotating force is applied in the'opposite direction, the operationof the parts will be substantially the same. Thus, it is possible totighten the tool or wrench upon a jar top or cap and to apply turningforce thereto in either direction, that is, to Screw a Cap upon the'jarand to unscrewacap romthejar. y Y ,Y

From the foregoing, it will be seen that I have provided a jar topwrench particularlyradapted for use in applying .and loosening screwcaps suoli as used on screw cap'fruit jars, which is or" simple andinexpensive and yet sturdy construction, made up of parts easilymanufactured and assembled, and which will not be likely to be damagedor broken, even through long and constant use. v

While I have herein shown and described only certain specic embodimentsof my invention, it will be appreciated that changes and variations canbe made in the form and construction and arrangement and assembly of theparts, in the materials used in the various portions, and in otherrespects, without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

I claim:

A jar top wrench for use in tightening and re-` moving screw capscomprising a supporting plate member of generally elliptical outlineprovided with a bearing opening in its middle and having guide slotsextending inwardly in substantially opposed radial relationsubstantially along the longer axis of the plate and open at their outerends, an elongated operating plate provided with a central opening andvhaving Yan arcuate slot through each endcurved with its ends nearer theycentral opening than its middle portion, a pair of generally segmentalshaped gripping members each having an arcuate grippingflange, headedslide members with elongated body 'portions carried by the outer side ofthe gripping members and adapted to lit through the ends ol". and slid/e1n the guide slots to movably mount the gripping members on thesupporting plate member, pin means on each gripping member looselyreceived through the arcuate slot at one end of the operating plate; anda spindle provided with an operating handle at oneV end having the otherend mounted in the bearing opening of the supporting-plate andthen-secured in the opening of the operating plate.

NATHAN D. HOSKINS.

REFERENCES CITED The following Vreferencesare of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,262,036 Gandee Apr. 9, 19181,394,388 Wisenberg Oct. 18, 1921 1,471,353 Pihl Oct. 23, 1923 2,052,458Froelich Aug. 25, 21936?

